Briquet-press.



" EATENTEE JUNE 12, 1906.

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J. JLGEAWEOED. BRIQUET PRESS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1905.

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PATENTED JUNE l2, 1906.

J. J. CRAWFORD. BRIQUET PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 1, 1905.

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JAMES J. CRAWFORD, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO EUREKA BRIQUETTE COMPANY, OF

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application iled November l, 1905. Serial No. 285,434.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES J. CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Briquet-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to presses for plastic material, and more particularly to machines for forming briquets from comminuted material, as culm or fine coal, peat, &c., mixed with a suitable binder, preferably some product of petroleum, as asphaltum, &c.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of eXtreme strength and simplicity in which a series of pockets or receptacles are adapted to receive the material and have it formed into briquets by oppositely-located reciprocatory plungers and then discharged from the machine by the separation of the plungers.

An embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of machine for making briquets. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on a line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the inner plunger. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the outside plunger. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section of the feed-pockets. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section of the discharge. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail View of the ballbearing.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a base on which the other parts are mounted and which may be of any desired shape and size. Formed upon or projecting upward from the base at or near its center is a column 2,which is preferably hollow, with a closed top 3 and has its periphery or cylindrical surface provided with flanges 4, 5, and 6. The base is bolted to the flange 4 and the inside cam-ring 7 to the flange 5, while the iiange 6 forms an abutment against which the inner plungers 8 engage and are forced outward by the proj ecting portions of the eccentric or camshaped iiange. The inner movement of the plungers is caused by the inwardly-extending portions of the curves of the ring 7, which correspond with the outlines of the flange 6.

The inner plungers, as also the outer ones, 9, are radially mounted in a horizontal disk or Wheel 10, which ts upon the upper end of the column 2 and is rotated by a pinion 11, engaging with teeth 12 upon the under face of the wheel, preferably formed in an annular plate 13, secured to the Wheel in any suitable manner. The pinion is driven from any source of power through the pulley 14 and gearing 15, only one gear being shown in the drarvings, though others may be added, if desire The wheel 10 is mounted on a shoulder 16 near the top of the column, and an antifriction-bearing 17 is preferably placed between the hub of the wheel and the shoulder. A cap 18 is preferably secured to the top of the hub of the wheel over the top of the column and provided with an oil-cup 19, through which oil is delivered to a channel 20 and thence to the space between the walls of the hub and of the column. The central portion or hub of the Wheel or disk is raised above the plane of the outer portion, so as to be supported and steadied by the upper end of the column, while the plungers 8 and 9 are in the plane of the iange 6 and an outer ring 21, which is supported above the base upon standard 22.

The outer or pressure-receiving ends of the plungers are preferably angular to engage with the rings 7 and 21 and provided with antifriction-rollers 23, which engage with their respective cam-rings and prevent the excessive Wear and friction that would otherwise occur. The inner or adjacent ends of the plungers are preferably concaved or cupped for giving a slightly-rounding surface to the briquet 24, that is formed between them. The two sets of plungers are arranged in pairs, each pair being in the same radial line and adapted to be moved toward each other during a portion of the revolution of the wheel 10, away from each other during another portion, and simultaneously in the same direction during still another portion. These movements are caused or permitted by pins 25 on the outer ends of the plungers which enter grooves 26 in the faces of the respective rings and with the other cam-surfaces force the plungers in or out as it is desired to compress the material, discharge the briquet, or separate the plungers for a fresh charge, as the case.may be. Each pin 25 is preferably provided with an antifrictionroller 27, which just fits Within the groove 26 IOO and causes the movement of the flanges with slight friction and but little lost motion.

The outer portion of disk 10 is provided with a series of pockets 28, suitably arranged in the upper surfaces of the disk and located so as to deliver the material between the plungers. The material is fed to the pockets at any suitable point, as at 29. The walls of the pockets are 'flared or inclined outward at the top, as shown at 3l, to assist in feeding material thereto and to form a sharp-edged divider or partition 32 between the different pockets. The lower face of the disk is provided with plurality of discharge-openings 33, one for each pocket, through which the briquets are discharged after they have been subjected to the desired pressure, which is, applied by the plungers within a perforation or mold-chamber 34 in the body of the disk. Each chamber is preferably provided with a steel bushing 35, the inner edges of both ends of which are preferably chamfered to permit of the entrance of the ends of the plungers. Oilecups 36 are provided for supplying the inner bearing of the plungers 8 and 9 with oil. The final pressure is applied by a wheel 37, which engages with the outer end of the outer plungers and gives each briquet its final pressure, after which the two plungers of each part are simultaneously carried outward until the briquet is in the openings 33, when the inner plunger is drawn inward, which releases the briquet and permits it to fall onto a conveyer and be removed to any -desired point. The wheel 37 is preferably mounted in a yoke 38, as in a slot or opening therein, and the wheel-shaft rests on a button 39, which is adjustable vertically by a screw 40. The yoke is pivoted at one end to a standard 41 and has its free end supported on an arm 42, which extends inward from a bracket 43. A spring 44 is arranged to hold the wheel forward with a yielding pressure, and a set-screw 45 is arranged to vary the pressure of the spring. Extending from a point directly at one side of the wheel 37 substantially one-quarter of the way around the disk l() (toward the yielding point) is a compression-lever 46, which is pivotally connected at one end with the outside cam-ring at 47 and has its free end resting on an arm or bracket 48, extending inward from the standard 41. Thin pieces of wrought-iron or shims 49 are placed between the end of the lever 46 and a shoul der 50 on the arm 48 to take up the pressure on the lever and permit of the adjustment of the lever to secure the desired amount of pressure upon the outer plungers which are adapted to engage therewith, said lever taking the place of the outer cam-ring or being placed directly above it at that point, so as to engage with the outer ends of the outer plungers 9.

In operating a machine as above described it is started with the diskrotating in the dil rection of the arrow. Material is then fed into the pockets in any suitable manner, as at 29, and is carried around and gradually forced out into the compression-chamber by the outward movement of the inner plungers, where it is subjected to a constantly-increasing pressure from the approaching plungers. After the plungers pass the compressione wheel they are rapidly carried outward until the briquets reach the discharge-openings, when the inner plungers are moved, which drops the finished briquet and opens the plungers ready for action upon the fresh material. Oil can be applied through the different openings for keeping the parts well lubricated.

Having described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters `Patent, is-

1. In a briquet-press, a rotary member provided with a series of pockets adapted to receive material and a mold-chamber adjacent to each pocket and in the same horizontal plane therewith, and pairs of oppositely-located reciprocatory plungers for removing the material from the pockets and forming it into briquets in said mold members.

2. In a briquet-press, a rotary disk provided with a series of pockets in its upper surface for receiving mateilial and discharge recesses or openings in its' under surface for discharging the briquets, and mold-chambers between the pockets and openings, and pairs of oppositely-located, reciproeatory plungers in said disk adapted to remove material from the pockets and form it into briquets in said mold-chambers and discharge the briquets through said recesses or openings.

3. In a briquet-press, a rotary disk provided with a series of pockets in its upper surface for receiving material and recesses or openings in its under surface for discharging the briquets and mold-chambers between the pockets and recesses or openings, the upper portion of the surrounding walls of each pocket being inclined or flaring and the upper edge of the partition between the pockets being a substantially sharp edge, and pairs of oppositelylocated, reciprocatory plungers in the disk adapted to remove material from the pockets and form it into briquets in said mold chambers and discharge the briquets through said recesses or openings.

4. In a briquet-press, a rotary disk provided with a series of pockets, mold-chambers adjacent thereto and discharge-openings, said chambers being in the same hori- Zontal plane with the lower part of the pockets and with the upper part of the dischargeopenings, radially-arranged pairs of plungers adapted to remove material from the pockets into the mold-chambers and then into the discharge-openings and means for moving one of the plungers of each pair independ IOO IIO

ently, then moving both plungers toward each other, then moving them simultaneously in the same direction and then moving the first-mentioned plungers in the opposite direction from which they lWere originally moved.

5. In a briquet-press, a rotary receivingrv and forming disk, radially-arranged parts of reciprocatory plungers therein, the outer end of some of the plungers being recessed and provided With antifriction-rollers in said recesses and a pin on one side of the plungers, and cam-surfaces and grooved cam-rings for reciprocating the plungers.

6. In a briquet-press, a rotary receiving and forming disk, radially-arranged pairs of reciprocating plungers therein, cams and cam-rings for actuating the lungers, a camlever, and a pressure-Wheel) also actuating the plungers for giving the iinal pressure to the briquets.

7. In a briquet-press, a rotary receiving and forming disk, radially-arranged pairs of reciprocatory plungers therein, inner and outer cam-rings, a pressure-lever pivotally secured at one end to the outer cam-ring, means at the free end for adjusting the lever relative to the outer plungers, and a pressure- Wheel adjacent to the free end of said lever.

8. In a briquet-press, a rotary receiving and forming disk, radially-arranged pairs of reciprocatory plungers therein, inner and outer cam-rings, a pressure-Wheel, means for adjusting it vertically, and adjustable means for holding said Wheel yieldingly in position.

9. In a briquet-press, a rotary receiving and `forming disk, radially-arranged pairs of reciprocatory plungers therein, inner and outer cam-rings, standards adjacent to the outer ring, each provided With an arm, a pressure-lever pivotally secured at one end to the outer ring and having its Jree end adjustably mounted on the arm of one of the standards, a yoke pivotally secured at oneend to said standard and having its free end adjustably and yieldingly mounted on the arm of the other standard, and a Wheel journaled in the yoke in position for engaging with the outer plungers.

10. In a briquet-press, a base, a column thereon provided With cam-shaped flanges near its top, one of Which is provided With a cam-groove, a rotary disk mounted on the column With its outer portion substantially in the plane-of said iianges and provided With pockets and compression-chambers, an outer cam-ring around said Wheel, inner and outer reci rocatory plungers in the disk in position for eing actuated by said cam and rings and rollers and pins on the inner plungers, said pins engaging With the cam-groove and the rollers With one of the iianges.

In testimony whereof I have aliXed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 26th day of October, 1905.

JAMES J. CRAWFORD.

Witnesses:

M. R. SEELY, HENRIETTA BURT. 

